Methods and apparatuses for monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting for food waste disposal, storage, and treatment system

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided for a food loading station having a disposer that grinds food waste that is located at a facility that processes food waste. A storage tank receives a slurry of food waste and water from the disposer. A controller is connected to the disposer and in communication with a scale that senses a weight of the food waste before grinding by the disposer. A remote module is in communication with the controller, receives the sensed weight of the food waste, and calculates, based on the sensed weight, a total amount of the food waste ground by the disposer and received by the storage tank over a predetermined time period. A terminal associated with the facility and connected to the remote module receives a report that includes diverted food waste data for the predetermined time period corresponding to the total amount of food waste.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/017,883, filed on Jun. 27, 2014. The entire disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the disposal, storage, and treatmentof food waste and, more particularly, to monitoring, diagnostics, andreporting for food waste disposal, storage, and treatment systems.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Large scale food facilities, such as grocery stores, restaurants,cafeterias, commercial kitchens, hotels, stadiums, and the like, cangenerate a large amount of food waste. Traditionally, the food waste isdisposed of in trash bags and hauled to a landfill. Alternatively, thefood waste can be collected and transported to an anaerobic digestionfacility where the food waste can be converted to methane gas, which canbe captured for energy generation, and solids, which can be used forfertilizer. It is difficult, however, for large scale food facilities tostore food waste for extended periods of time, to predict the optimalfood waste pickup times for efficient scheduling, to determine theamount of food waste being generated or the corresponding amount ofmethane gas that could be produced by the food waste. Additionally,existing systems do not provide sufficient feedback or data collectionto allow large scale food facilities to monitor or diagnose issues,faults, or malfunctions with the systems.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure a system is providedthat includes a food loading station located at a facility thatprocesses food waste, the food loading station having a disposer thatgrinds food waste. The system also includes a storage tank that receivesa slurry of food waste and water from the disposer for storage until theslurry is collected for transportation to an anaerobic digestionfacility. The system also includes a controller connected to thedisposer and in communication with a scale that senses a weight of thefood waste before grinding by the disposer. The system also includes aremote module in communication with the controller that receives thesensed weight of the food waste and that calculates, based on the sensedweight, a total amount of the food waste ground by the disposer andreceived by the storage tank over a predetermined time period. Thesystem also includes a terminal associated with the facility andconnected to the remote module that receives a report that includesdiverted food waste data for the predetermined time period correspondingto the total amount of food waste.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is providedand includes sensing, with a scale in communication with a controllerconnected to a disposer installed in a food loading station located at afacility that processes food waste, a weight of food waste beforegrinding by the disposer. The method also includes receiving a slurry offood waste and water from the disposer with a storage tank that storesthe slurry until the slurry is collected for transportation to ananaerobic digestion facility. The method also includes receiving, with aremote module in communication with the controller, the sensed weight ofthe food waste. The method also includes calculating, with the remotemodule, a total amount of the food waste ground by the disposer andreceived by the storage tank over a predetermined time period based onthe sensed weight. The method also includes receiving, with a terminalassociated with the facility and connected to the remote module, areport that includes diverted food waste data for the predetermined timeperiod corresponding to the total amount of food waste.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure a system is providedthat includes a food loading station located at a facility thatprocesses food waste, the food loading station having a disposer thatgrinds food waste. The system also includes a storage tank that receivesa slurry of food waste and water from the disposer for storage until theslurry is collected for transportation to an anaerobic digestionfacility. The system also includes a controller connected to thedisposer and in communication with a flow sensor that generates watersupply data indicating a flow of water from a water supply to the foodloading station, the controller monitoring a run time of the system. Thesystem also includes a remote module in communication with thecontroller that receives the water supply data and run time datacorresponding to the run time of the system, that determines a totalamount of water used by the system over a predetermined time periodbased on the water supply data, and that determines an amount of waterused for grinding food waste over the predetermined time period based onthe water supply data and the run time data. The system also includes aterminal associated with the facility and connected to the remote modulethat receives a report that includes the total amount of water used bythe system over the predetermined time period and the amount of waterused for grinding food waste over the predetermined time period.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is providedand includes grinding food waste with a disposer installed in a foodloading station located at a facility that processes food waste. Themethod also includes receiving a slurry of food waste and water from thedisposer with a storage tank that stores the slurry until the slurry iscollected for transportation to an anaerobic digestion facility. Themethod also includes generating, with a flow sensor, water supply dataindicating a flow of water from a water supply to the food loadingstation. The method also includes monitoring, with a controller, a runtime of the system and receiving, with the controller, the water supplydata. The method also includes receiving, with a remote module incommunication with the controller, the water supply data and run timedata corresponding to the run time of the system. The method alsoincludes determining, with the remote module, a total amount of waterused by the system over a predetermined time period based on the watersupply data. The method also includes determining, with the remotemodule, an amount of water used for grinding food waste over thepredetermined time period based on the water supply data and the runtime data. The method also includes receiving, with a terminalassociated with the facility and connected to the remote module, areport that includes the total amount of water used by the system overthe predetermined time period and the amount of water used for grindingfood waste over the predetermined time period.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure a system is providedthat includes a food loading station located at a facility thatprocesses food waste, the food loading station having a disposer thatgrinds food waste. The system also includes a storage tank that receivesa slurry of food waste and water from the disposer for storage until theslurry is collected for transportation to an anaerobic digestionfacility. The system also includes a controller connected to thedisposer that monitors a run time of the system. The system alsoincludes a remote module in communication with the controller thatreceives run time data corresponding to the run time of the system, thatdetermines usage data for the system over a predetermined time periodbased on the run time data, and that generates a report indicating theusage data for the system over the predetermined time period. The systemalso includes a terminal associated with the facility and connected tothe remote module that receives the report.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is providedand includes grinding food waste with a disposer installed in a foodloading station located at a facility that processes food waste. Themethod also includes receiving a slurry of food waste and water from thedisposer with a storage tank that stores the slurry until the slurry iscollected for transportation to an anaerobic digestion facility. Themethod also includes monitoring, with a controller, a run time of thesystem and receiving, with the controller, the water supply data. Themethod also includes receiving, with a remote module in communicationwith the controller, run time data corresponding to the run time of thesystem. The method also includes determining, with the remote module,usage data for the system over a predetermined time period based on therun time data. The method also includes generating, with the remotemodule, a report indicating the usage data for the system over thepredetermined time period. The method also includes receiving, with aterminal associated with the facility and connected to the remotemodule, the report.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food waste disposal, storage, andtreatment system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage tank of FIG. 1 connected toa transport truck in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a monitoring and diagnostics system for afood waste disposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a remote monitor, controller, and terminalsof the monitoring and diagnostics system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart depicting an example method for a food wastedisposal, storage, and treatment system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a core sampler in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of the core sampler shown in FIG. 16in a storage tank;

FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of the core sampler shown in FIG. 16in a storage tank; and

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the core sampler shown in FIG. 16.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, a foodwaste disposal, storage, and treatment system for comminuting organicfood waste and discharging the food waste into a storage tank forstorage is described. Further, the food waste is periodically collectedfrom the storage tank and transported to an anaerobic digestion facilitywhere it is converted to methane gas and solids. The methane gasgenerated from the food waste can be captured and used, for example, forenergy generation. The solids can be collected and used, for example,for fertilizer.

With reference to FIG. 1, a food waste disposal and storage system 100is shown and includes a food loading station 102 and a storage tank 105.The food loading station 102 and storage tank 105 may be located, forexample, at a food facility that processes food waste. For example, thefood facility could be a food facility that generates food waste, suchas a grocery store, a restaurant, a cafeteria, a commercial kitchen, ahotel, a stadium, or other facility that generates food waste and thenprocesses the generated food waste using the food waste disposal andstorage system 100. As another example, the food facility could processfood waste that is generated at a separate facility. For example, thefood facility could receive food waste transported to the facility forprocessing from a separate facility, such as a grocery store, arestaurant, a cafeteria, a commercial kitchen, a hotel, a stadium, orother facility that generates food waste, and then process the receivedfood waste using the food waste disposal and storage system 100. Thefood loading station 102 includes a feed table 104 and a sink basin 106that empties into a food waste disposer 108. Alternatively, the sinkbasin 106 may be omitted such that the disposer 108 is attached directlyto the feed table 104 without the use of a sink basin 106. The feedtable may be level or slanted toward the sink basin 106. Alternatively,a feed table 104 with only a portion that is slanted toward the sinkbasin 106 may be used. If the feed table is slanted toward the sinkbasin 106, food waste emptied onto the feed table 104 may be urged byforce of gravity due to the pitch of the feed table 104 towards the sinkbasin 106 and disposer 108. Additionally, water from a water supply,such as water from a water hose connected to the water supply, may besprayed onto the feed table 104 with a sprayer, such as an overheadsprayer. Alternatively, the feed table 104 may be configured with awater inlet connected to the water supply to provide a constantdirectional flow of water on or down the feed table 104. If the feedtable 104 is slanted toward the sink basin 106, the flow of the waterdown the feed table 104 due to the pitch of the feed table 104 may thenassist in moving food waste down the feed table 104 toward the sinkbasin 106 and disposer 108. The food loading station 102 may includeraised sides 110 to prevent food waste and water from spilling off ofthe top surface of the food loading station 102. The feed table 104 maybe constructed, for example, of stainless steel to provide a slicksurface to assist in the flow of water and food waste toward the sinkbasin 106 and disposer 108. Additionally, the entire food loadingstation 102 may be constructed of stainless steel.

A bin loader 112 may optionally be installed adjacent to the foodloading station 102. In installations where a bin loader 112 isinstalled, food waste may be collected in a storage bin 114 that is thenloaded into the bin loader 112. The bin loader 112 may then rotate thestorage bin 114 such that a bottom end of the storage bin 114 is raisedupwards above a top end of the storage bin 114 so that the food wastecontents of the storage bin 114 are emptied onto the feed table 104. Thebin loader 112 may be operated, for example, with an electric motor andgear mechanism and/or with a hydraulic mechanism.

Alternatively, or in addition to the bin loader 112, an auger device maybe used to transport food waste onto the feed table 104 or directly intoan intake of the disposer 108. For example, food waste may be emptiedinto a collection area below or near the feed table 104 and an augerdevice may then collect and transport the food waste from the collectionarea onto the feed table 104 or directly into the intake of the disposer108. The auger device may be operated, for example, with an electricmotor and gear mechanism.

Food waste from the sink basin 106 enters the intake of the disposer 108and is comminuted into a slurry mix of comminuted food waste materialand any water that entered the disposer 108 from the feed table 104 andsink basin 106. For example, the disposer 108 may be a dry wastegrinder, such as the dry waste grinder described in Applicant's commonlyassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,036, which is incorporated herein byreference. In addition to the water supply for spraying the feed table104, the disposer 108 may include a water inlet that is directlyconnected to the water supply as described, for example, in Applicant'scommonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,000, which is also incorporatedherein by reference.

The slurry mix of comminuted food waste material and water is dischargedfrom the disposer 108 into a disposer discharge pipe 116 connected to apump 118. The pump 118 pumps the mix of comminuted food waste materialand water into the storage tank 105 through a pump discharge pipe 120.The pump 118 can be, for example, a hose pump, as depicted in FIG. 1. Itis understood, however, than any type of suitable pump can be used withthe food waste disposal and storage system 100.

The food loading station 102 and the storage tank 105 may be in separateareas. For example, the food loading station 102 and the storage tank105 may be separated by a wall 122 and the pump discharge pipe 120 maybe routed through the wall 122. For example, the food loading station102 and the storage tank 105 may be in separate rooms of a building.Alternatively, the food loading station 102 may be located inside of abuilding while the storage tank 105 may be located outside of thebuilding. Alternatively, the food loading station 102 may be located ata first level of a building and the storage tank 105 may be located at alower level of the building. For example, the storage tank 105 may belocated in a basement of the building. In some installations, dependingon the location of the storage tank 105 and the proximity to thedisposer 108, the pump 118 may not be required. For example, if thestorage tank 105 is near the disposer 108 and/or located at a lowerlevel from the disposer 108, the pump 118 may be unnecessary and theforce of discharge from the disposer 108 may be sufficient to pump theslurry mix from the disposer 108 to the storage tank 105.

As shown in FIG. 1, and as described in further detail below, the foodloading station 102 may include a controller 124 for controlling thedisposer 108 and the pump 118. As discussed in further detail below, thecontroller 124 may also control the water supply. Additionally, as shownin FIG. 1, and as described in further detail below, the storage tank105 may include a tank controller 126 for controlling componentsassociated with the storage tank 105. For example, the tank controller126 may control one or more tank heaters 128 (shown in FIG. 3). Forexample, when the storage tank 105 is located outside or in a colderpart of the building, the tank controller 126 may control the tankheaters 128 to prevent the slurry mix of comminuted food waste materialand water from freezing while in the storage tank 105. Additionally, thepump discharge pipe 120 may also be configured with a heater, ifnecessary, controlled by the tank controller 126 or controller 124 toprevent the slurry mix from freezing while in the pump discharge pipe120.

With reference to FIG. 2, the storage tank 105 is configured with adischarge outlet 200 that includes a discharge valve 202 for allowingthe slurry mix of comminuted food waste material and water to becollected from the storage tank 105. For example, a collection truck 204may include a collection tank 206 that can be connected to the dischargeoutlet 200 of the storage tank 105 with a discharge hose 208. Thecollection truck 204 may include a suction pump for sucking the slurrymix from the storage tank 105, through the discharge hose 208, and intothe collection tank 206, when the discharge valve 202 is opened.Further, the discharge outlet 200 may include an air admittance valve210 for allowing ambient air to be introduced into the discharge hose208 while the contents of the storage tank 105 are being sucked into thecollection tank 206. The introduction of air into the discharge hose 208during the suction operation can help to prevent clogs in the dischargehose 208 and reduce the load on the suction pump of the collection truck204. An operator, for example, can manually adjust the air admittancevalve 210 by feathering the air admittance valve 210 during the suctionoperation, as necessary, to introduce air into the discharge hose 208.Once the storage tank 105 is emptied, the discharge valve 202 and airadmittance valve 210 are closed.

The storage tank 105 may include an exhaust tube to allow ambient air toenter into the storage tank 105 and/or to allow air from the storagetank to escape to the surrounding environment. The exhaust tube may beconfigured with a carbon filter to filter odor from any air exiting thestorage tank 105.

The collection truck 204 can then transport the mix of comminuted foodwaste material and water to an anaerobic digestion facility forconversion to methane gas to be used for energy generation and to solidsto be used for fertilizer. For example, the anaerobic digestion facilitymay operate one or more collection trucks 204 and may periodically visitfood facilities to collect the slurry mix of comminuted food wastematerial and water from an associated storage tank 105. Further, becausethe food waste material can be converted into energy and fertilizer,which can be sold for money, the anaerobic digestion facility may paythe owner or operator of the food facility to collect the food wastematerial. For example, the compensation paid by the anaerobic digestionfacility may be based on the volume of the collected slurry mix.Additionally or alternatively, the compensation paid by the anaerobicdigestion facility may be based on an evaluation of the quality of theslurry mix collected or an estimated amount of energy and/or fertilizerthat could be generated from the collected slurry mix. For example, theevaluation may determine the amount of food waste material in the slurrymix versus the amount of water in the slurry mix. A slurry mix that ishigher in food waste material content may ultimately produce moremethane gas and/or solids as compared with a slurry mix that has a lowerfood waste material content and a higher water content. Further, asdiscussed below, for a given water content, a slurry with a higher totalorganic carbon value or a higher chemical oxygen demand may produce moremethane gas and/or solids as compared with a slurry mix that has a lowertotal organic carbon value or a lower chemical oxygen demand.

With reference to FIG. 3, a block diagram is shown with many of thecomponents of the food waste disposal and storage system 100 describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, FIG. 3 includes thebin loader 112, the feed table 104, the sink basin 106, the disposer108, the disposer discharge pipe 116, the pump 118, the pump dischargepipe 120, the storage tank 105, the controller 124, the tank controller126, and the tank heaters 128.

As shown in FIG. 3, the food waste material starts at the bin loader112, if present, and moves from left to right in the Figure, as depictedby the arrows. For example, the food waste material moves from the binloader 112 to the feed table 104 and then to the sink basin 106. Asdescribed above, an auger could be used in addition to or in place ofthe bin loader 112. From the sink basin 106, the food waste material iscomminuted in the disposer into comminuted food waste material and ispumped by the pump 118 from the disposer discharge pipe 116 to the pumpdischarge pipe 120 and into the storage tank 105.

As further shown in FIG. 3, the controller 124 is in communication withand controls the disposer 108 and pump 118. The controller 124 may alsobe in communication with the tank controller 126. Alternatively, thetank controller 126 may operate independently of, and withoutcommunication with, the controller 124.

The controller 124 may also control a water supply 300. For example, asdiscussed above, the water supply 300 may provide water flow to the feedtable 104, to a water hose with a sprayer for spraying water onto thefeed table 104, and/or directly to the disposer 108. The controller 124may control the flow of water of the water supply 300. For example, aflushing water control for a food waste disposer based on visualdetection of food waste is described in Applicant's commonly assignedU.S. Pat. No. 8,579,217, which is incorporated herein by reference, asdiscussed above.

As shown in FIG. 3, an electrical supply 302 provides electrical powerto a number of components of the food waste disposal and storage system100. For example, the electrical supply 302 supplies power to the binloader 112, the disposer 108, the pump 118, and the tank heaters 128.Additionally, the controller 124 controls a power switch 304, whichcontrols the supply of power to components of the system. If necessary,for example, the controller 124 can control the power switch 304 todisconnect power to some or all of the system components. For example,in the event of a clog or jam in the system or in the event that thestorage tank 105 is full, the controller 124 can control the powerswitch 304 to disconnect power from the bin loader 112, disposer 108,pump 118, and/or the tank heaters 128.

As shown in FIG. 3, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 isconfigured with a number of sensors that communicate sensed data back tothe controller 124. For clarity, communication lines from the sensors tothe controller 124 are omitted from FIG. 3. It is understood, however,that the various sensors communicate sensed data back to the controller124 via wired or wireless communication connections.

For example, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 may includea number of electrical sensors. For example, the food waste disposal andstorage system 100 may include a number of current sensors 306 forsensing electrical current being drawn by a specific component or groupof components. For example, the food waste disposal and storage system100 may include a current sensor 306 a associated with the bin loader112. In the event an auger is used, a corresponding current sensor forthe auger may likewise be used. Further, the food waste disposal andstorage system 100 may include a current sensor 306 b associated withthe disposer 108 and a current sensor 306 c associated with the pump118. Further, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 may includea current sensor 306 d associated with the tank heaters 128. AlthoughFIG. 3 shows current sensors 306 for each of the components, voltagesensors or power meter sensors may alternatively or additionally be usedwith or instead of the current sensors 306.

In addition, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 may includea number of flow sensors 308. For example, a flow sensor 308 a may sensea flow rate of the water supply 300. While a single flow sensor 308 a isshown for the water supply 300, two flow sensors may be used instead tosense the flow rates for the water being supplied to each of the feedtable 104 and the disposer 108. In this way, the controller 124 candetermine and monitor the amount of water being supplied to the feedtable 104 and the disposer 108 and determine or estimate an amount ofwater that is ultimately introduced into the storage tank 105 from thewater supply 300.

In addition, a flow sensor 308 b may sense a flow rate of the slurry mixof comminuted food waste material and water being pumped from the pump118 to the storage tank 105. Alternatively or additionally, a pressuresensor 310 a may be used to sense a pressure of the mix of comminutedfood waste material and water in the pump discharge pipe 120. In thisway, the controller 124 can monitor the flow and/or pressure within thepump discharge pipe 120 and determine when the pump discharge pipe 120has become clogged, for example. Additionally, the pump 118 may beequipped with a pressure switch 312 that deactivates the pump 118 whenthe pressure within the pump 118 or within the pump discharge pipe 120is above a predetermined threshold. In this way, in the event of a clogin the pump 118 or in the pump discharge pipe 120, the pump 118 can bedeactivated before the pump 118, or other components, such as the pumpdischarge pipe 120, are damaged.

In addition, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 may includea number of temperature sensors 314. For example, the pump 118 mayinclude a temperature sensor 314 a that senses a temperature of the pump118, a temperature of an electric motor that drives the pump 118, and/ora temperature of a lubricant sump within the pump 118. In this way, thecontroller 124 may determine when the pump 118 is overheating or aboutto overheat and can appropriately deactivate the pump before it isdamaged.

Further, the storage tank 105 may include a temperature sensor 314 b tosense a temperature of the slurry mix of comminuted food waste materialand water in the storage tank 105. The tank controller 126 may alsoreceive the temperature data from the temperature sensor 314 b and maycontrol the tank heaters 128 to maintain a temperature of the slurry mixof comminuted food waste material and water in the storage tank 105above a threshold level so that the slurry mix does not freeze in thestorage tank 105. Additionally, in warmer climates the food wastedisposal and storage system 100 may include refrigeration or coolingunits for the storage tank 105. In such case, the tank controller 126may control the refrigeration or cooling units to maintain a temperatureof the slurry mix below a threshold level so that the slurry mix doesnot get too warm. In this way, biological activity within the storagetank 105 may be impeded to maximize the potential energy value of theslurry. As discussed in further detail below, the temperature of theslurry mix can also be used to evaluate the potential methane gas yieldfrom the slurry mix. The storage tank 105 may also include a pH sensor316 that senses a pH of the mix in the storage tank 105. The pH can alsobe used to evaluate the potential methane gas yield from the mix. Otherchemical composition sensors 318 may also be used to sense a chemicalcomposition of the mix in the storage tank 105. Additionally, the pumpdischarge pipe 120 may include a temperature sensor 314 c to sense atemperature of the slurry mix in the pump discharge pipe 120. A separateheater or heaters may be used to heat the pump discharge pipe 120,depending on the location of the storage tank 105. For example, if thestorage tank 105 is located outside, a portion of the pump dischargepipe 120 may also be outside and may need to be heated to keep fromfreezing in cold weather. The tank controller 126 may receive thetemperature data from the temperature sensor 314 c and may control theheaters for the pump discharge pipe 120 to maintain a temperature of theslurry mix in the pump discharge pipe 120 above a threshold level sothat the slurry mix does not freeze in pump discharge pipe 120.

The storage tank 105 may include a level sensor 320 that senses a levelof the slurry mix in the storage tank 105. As discussed in furtherdetail below, the sensed level of the slurry mix can be used to schedulea collection time for a collection truck 204 to visit the food facilityand collect the slurry mix in the storage tank 105. In addition, thelevel sensor 320 may be connected to a leak detection system 322. Theleak detection system 322 may utilize level data from the level sensor320, in conjunction with data from the pressure sensors 310 a, 310 band/or flow sensor 308 b for the pump discharge pipe 120 to detect aleak in the system and generate an alert to the controller 124, whichcan be communicated to an operator or owner of the food waste disposaland storage system 100. Additionally, the storage tank 105 may include apressure sensor 310 b that senses a pressure of the interior of thestorage tank. The leak detection system 322 may also utilize thepressure data from the pressure sensor 310 b to determine whether thereis a leak in the system. Additionally, the controller 124 may monitorthe pressure from the pressure sensor 310 b, in conjunction with otherdata, to determine if the discharge valve 202 or the air admittancevalve 210 have been mistakenly left open. In such case, the controller124 can generate an appropriate alert or notification to an owner oroperator of the system.

As shown in FIG. 3, scales 324 may be used to weigh the food waste beingintroduced into the food waste disposal and storage system 100. Forexample, the bin loader 112 can be equipped with a scale 324 a to weigha storage bin 114 being loaded into the bin loader 112. For example, thecontroller 124 may store a predetermined weight associated with thestorage bin 114 and may then determine an amount of food waste beingintroduced into the food waste disposal and storage system 100 based onthe weight indicated by the scale and the stored weight of the storagebin 114. Additionally or alternatively, the feed table 104 may beequipped with a scale 324 b that weighs food waste deposited directlyonto the feed table 104. Additionally or alternatively, the food wastedisposal and storage system 100 may include a standalone scale 324 c forweighing food waste being deposited into the food waste disposal andstorage system 100.

Further, the food waste disposal and storage system 100 may be equippedwith one or more visual detection systems 326 to determine when foodwaste is present at a location in the system or above a predeterminedthreshold at a location in the system. For example, the feed table 104may be equipped with a visual detection system 326 a that detects whenfood waste is present on the feed table 104. Additionally oralternatively, the disposer 108 may be equipped with a visual detectionsystem 326 b that detects when food waste is present at the intake ofthe disposer 108. A visual detection system 326, for example, isdescribed in Applicant's commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,579,217,which is incorporated herein by reference. The visual detection system326 may be in communication with the controller 124 and may activate aflow of water from the water supply 300 into a water inlet of thedisposer 108. For example, the controller 124 may activate a flow ofwater from the water supply 300 into the water inlet of the disposer 108when the visual detection system 326 b detects that food waste ispresent at the intake of the disposer. The controller 124 may alsodeactivate the flow of water from the water supply 300 into the waterinlet of the disposer 108 after a predetermined time period ofinactivity, based on monitoring by the visual detection system 326 a,326 b. For example, once the visual detection system 326 b has notdetected food waste present at the intake of the disposer for apredetermined time period, the controller 124 may deactivate the flow ofwater into the water inlet of the disposer 108.

Further, as described above, water from the water supply 300 may besprayed onto the feed table 104 with a sprayer. The controller 124 maydetermine when water is being sprayed onto the feed table 104 with thesprayer and may deactivate the flow of water into the water inlet of thedisposer 108 when the sprayer is activated. In this way, the controller124 may control the flow of water such that water is not introduced fromboth the sprayer and the water inlet of the disposer 108 at the sametime. Once the controller 124 determines that water is no long beingsprayed onto the feed table 104 with the sprayer, the controller 124 mayagain activate the flow of water into the water inlet of the disposer108. The controller 124 may be in communication with the sprayer todetermine when the sprayer is activated. Additionally or alternatively,the controller 124 may be in communication with a water detection systemthat determines when water is flowing from the sprayer and/or when wateris flowing onto the feed table 104.

As shown in FIG. 3, the disposer 108 may be configured with a splashhood sensor 327 that determines when the splash hood of the disposer 108has been removed. In such case, when the splash hood of the disposer hasbeen removed, the controller 124 can generate an appropriate alert ornotification to an owner or operator of the system and can disableoperation of the disposer 108 until the splash hood has been put back orreplaced.

As shown in FIG. 3, the storage tank 105 may be equipped with anagitator 336 that stirs or mixes the slurry mix contents of the storagetank 105. Over time, without stirring or mixing, the slurry mix contentsof the storage tank 105 can separate with heavier food waste materialsinking to the bottom of the storage tank and water and froth rising tothe top of the storage tank 105. The separated slurry mix, however, maybe more difficult to evacuate from the storage tank 105 during a suctionoperation when a collection truck 204 sucks the slurry mix from thestorage tank 105, as described above. To maintain a more uniformnon-separated mixture of the slurry mix, the agitator 336 may be used tostir or mix the contents of the storage tank 105. The agitator 336 mayinclude, for example, agitator blades configured to turn within thestorage tank 105 to stir and mix the slurry mix contents of the storagetank 105. The agitator 336 can be operated by an electric motorconnected to the electrical supply 302 and controlled by the tankcontroller 126. In such case, an additional current sensor 306 may beused to sense the current drawn by the agitator.

Alternatively, the agitator 336 can be configured to be powered by thesuction pump of the collection truck 204 through the connection of thedischarge hose 208 to the discharge outlet 200 of the storage tank 105.For example, upon connection of the discharge hose 208 to the dischargeoutlet and operation of the suction pump of the collection truck 204,the agitator 336 may be configured to turn as a result of the suctionaction caused by the suction pump. Alternatively, the suction pump ofthe collection truck 204 could be reversible such that it can beoperated in a suction mode or in a discharge mode. In the dischargemode, the suction pump could be configured to pump ambient air into thestorage tank and the agitator 336 can be configured to turn as a resultof the air being pumped into the storage tank 105. In such case, when acollection truck 204 arrives at a food facility for collection of theslurry mix from the storage tank, the operator of the collection truck204 could connect the discharge hose 208 to the discharge outlet 200 andrun the suction pump in the discharge mode to operate the agitator 336for a predetermined time period before performing the collectionoperation. In this way, the slurry mix contents of the storage tank 105will be more uniformly mixed before the collection operation, resultingin a smoother collection operation, with less clogging and reduced loadon the suction pump of the collection truck 204.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 124 is equipped with a user interface328 for receiving input from a user or operator of the food wastedisposal and storage system 100 and for displaying output to the user oroperator. For example, the user interface 328 can receive input from theuser or operator indicating that food waste is ready to be processed sothat the controller 124 can initiate system components appropriately.Additionally, the controller 124 can direct the user interface 328 todisplay alerts or notifications to the user or operator of the systemindicating, for example, that the storage tank 105 is full or close tofull, that there is a clog in the system, and/or that the pump 118,disposer 108, tank heaters 128, or other components, are malfunctioningor in need of maintenance or repair. Additionally, the user interface328 can receive input indicating a unique identifier for the user oroperator. In this way, the controller 124 can associate, track, andstore particular food waste loading and disposing operations withparticular users or operators. In this way, the data associated withparticular users can be reviewed to determine whether, for example, aparticular user is utilizing too much water during a food waste loadingoperation or taking too much time to perform a food waste loadingoperation. Additionally, data associated with a group of users oroperators can be compared. For example, the data can be reviewed todetermine whether a particular user generally causes an abnormally highor low number of faults or malfunctions. In this way, the system candetermine whether additional training is needed for a user or group ofusers.

Further, as discussed in further detail below, controller 124 cancommunicate with a remote monitor 330 located at a central locationremote from the food facility that monitors and analyzes collected dataabout the food waste disposal and storage system 100 received by andstored at the controller 124. The remote monitor 330, for example, mayinclude a server or other computing device executing monitoring anddiagnostics software for implementing the functionality of the presentdisclosure. The remote monitor 330 may communicate with the controller124 over an appropriate wired or wireless network connection. Forexample, the remote monitor 330 may communicate with the controller 124over a wide area network (WAN), such as the internet. Alternatively, theremote monitor 330 may be located at the same food facility as thecontroller 124 and may communicate with the controller 124 over a localarea network (LAN). Further, although the remote monitor 330 is shown inFIG. 3 as being in communication with a single controller 124, it isunderstood that the remote monitor 330 can be in communication withmultiple controllers 124 at multiple different food facilities over alarge geographic area. As such, the remote monitor 330 can perform thecommunication, monitoring, and diagnostic operations described hereinfor multiple controllers 124 at multiple different food facilities.

The remote monitor 330 may also be in communication with a customerterminal 332 associated with, and for use by, an owner or operator ofthe food waste disposal and storage system 100. In this way, an owner oroperator of the food waste disposal and storage system 100 can retrievedata associated with the food waste disposal and storage system 100 orreceive associated alerts or notifications. Additionally, the remotemonitor 330 may likewise be in communication with a hauler terminal 334associated with, and for use by, a food waste hauler, such as a foodwaste hauler that operates a collection truck 204. As described infurther detail below, the remote monitor 330 may communicate with thehauler terminal 334 to make appropriate scheduling arrangements forcollection of the mix within the storage tank 105. Likewise, althoughthe remote monitor 330 is shown in FIG. 3 as being in communication witha single customer terminal 332 and a single hauler terminal 334, it isunderstood that the remote monitor 330 can be in communication withmultiple customer terminals 332 for a single customer having, forexample, multiple different food facilities, as well as multiplecustomer terminals 332 associated with multiple different customers orfood facilities. Likewise, the remote monitor 330 can be incommunication with multiple hauler terminals 334 associated withmultiple different haulers.

The customer terminal 332 and the hauler terminal 334 may be anysuitable computing device with an appropriate network connection forcommunication with the remote monitor 330. For example, the customerterminal 332 and hauler terminal 334 may include desktop computers,laptop computers, tablet devices, mobile devices, such as smartphones orpersonal digital assistants (PDAs), or any other suitable computingdevice. The customer terminal 332 and hauler terminal 334 maycommunicate with the remote monitor 330 over a wired or wireless networkconnection. Further, the customer terminal 332 and hauler terminal 334may communicate with the remote monitor 330 over a LAN connection or aWAN connection.

The monitoring and diagnostic service provided by the remote monitor 330may be performed on a subscription basis for a customer, such as anowner or operator of the food facility. The subscription may include,for example, a periodic subscription fee, such as a weekly, monthly, orannual subscription fee. Further the provider of the monitoring anddiagnostic service may sell or lease the equipment and hardware for thefood waste disposal and storage system 100, including, for example, thefood loading station 102 with the feed table 104 and disposer 108, thepump 118, the storage tank 105, the controller 124, the user interface328, etc. Further the provider of the monitoring and diagnostic servicemay monitor the food waste disposal and storage system 100 and schedulethe collection times with the hauler, as appropriate. In this way, theowner or operator of the food facility does not need to make separatearrangements or payments for collection with the hauler or with ananaerobic digestion facility. Further, monies received from theanaerobic digestion facility could be credited towards the periodicsubscription fee, paid to the owner or operator of the food facility, orpaid to the provider of the monitoring and diagnostic service.

With reference to FIG. 4, further details are shown for the remotemonitor 330. Specifically, the remote monitor 330 includes a datacollection module 400 for operations and communication related toreceiving sensed and calculated data from controller 124 associated withthe food disposal and storage system 100. Additionally, the remotemonitor 330 includes a database 402 stored in memory that includesreceived data from the controller 124 associated with the food disposaland storage system 100. The data collection module 400, for example, mayreceive operational data from the controller 124, including sensed andcalculated data, and store the received data in the database 402.Because the remote monitor 330 can be in communication with multiplecontrollers 124 at multiple food disposal and storage systems 100, thedata in the database 402 can be appropriately indexed with identifiersindicating the particular controller 124 and particular food disposaland storage system 100 associated with the received data.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a reporting module 404 foroperations and communication related to generating and communicatingreports, notifications, and alerts to the customer terminal 332 at aparticular food disposal and storage system 100 and/or a hauler terminal334 associated with a particular hauler. For example, as discussed infurther detail below, the reporting module 404 can generate andcommunicate reports associated with usage data, food waste monitoring,diverted waste, environmental metrics, and energy content for aparticular food disposal and storage system 100. Additionally, thereporting module 404 can report data to a customer terminal 332 for useby the customer terminal 332 in displaying a customer dashboard thatincludes data indicating system status and health metrics. For example,the reporting module 404 can report data for use by the customerterminal 332 for display in the customer dashboard, including thecurrent pumping schedule, any operator assessment or oversight issues,the current tank level of the storage tank 105, a current maintenanceschedule, and any alerts or notifications requiring, for example,immediate maintenance.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a usage determinationmodule 406 for operations and communications related to determiningusage data metrics associated with a particular food disposal andstorage system 100. For example, as discussed in further detail below,the usage determination module can determine the particular water usageand costs, electricity usage and costs, run time, labor costs, andslurry volume, for example, associated with a particular food disposaland storage system 100.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a diverted wastedetermination module 408 for operations and communications related todetermining an amount of food waste diverted away from the landfill, orother food waste destination, for a particular food disposal and storagesystem 100. Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes an energycontent determination module 410 for operations and communicationrelated to determining an estimated energy content of food waste in thestorage tank 105 or collected from the storage tank 105.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a pumping schedule module412 for operations and communication related to determining and updatinga current pumping schedule for the storage tank 105 of the food disposaland storage system 100.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes an operator assessmentmodule 414 for evaluating and assessing particular operators that havelogged in and used the food disposal and storage system 100, asindicated by the login information received at the user interface 328.As discussed in further detail below, for example, the remote monitor330 may determine whether an increased number of system faults ormalfunctions have occurred during operations associated with aparticular user. Additionally, the operator assessment module 414 candetermine whether a particular user, for example, uses an increasedamount of water during operations of the food disposal and storagesystem 100.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a tank level monitormodule 416 for determining and monitoring a current tank level of thestorage tank 105 at the food disposal and storage system 100, based ondata received, for example, from the level sensor 320.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes a maintenance schedulemodule 418 for operations and communication associated with determiningwhether any particular component of the food disposal and storage system100 is in need of maintenance. Additionally, the maintenance schedulemodule 418 can predict, based on monitored operational data, whether aparticular component of the food disposal and storage system 100 will bein need of maintenance in the near future.

Additionally, the remote monitor 330 includes an alerts/immediatemaintenance module 420 for operations and communication associated withgenerating alerts or notifications indicating, for example, an emergencysituation requiring immediate maintenance or assistance. For example,the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 can generate alertsindicating that the storage tank 105 is full or near full, that thetemperature in the storage tank 105 is too low or leaking, or that thereis a clog or obstruction in the system, for example, at the pumpdischarge pipe.

With reference to FIG. 5, a control algorithm 500 is shown forgenerating and communicating a sustainability report associated with aparticular food disposal and storage system 100. The control algorithm500 may be performed by the remote monitor 330 and in particular, by thereporting module 404 based on data generated or determined by the usagedetermination module 406, the diverted waste determination module 408,and the energy content determination module 410. The control algorithm500 starts at 502. At 504, the usage determination module 406 of theremote monitor 330 determines usage data for the food disposal andstorage system 100. For example, as discussed in further detail below,the usage data may include water usage data, electricity usage data, runtime data, labor costs data, and slurry volume data. At 506, thediverted waste determination module 408 of the remote monitor 330 maydetermine diverted waste data associated with the food disposal andstorage system 100. The diverted waste data, as discussed in furtherdetail below, may include an amount of food waste diverted from alandfill or other food waste destination. The diverted waste data mayalso include an amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced by divertingthe food waste from the landfill. At 508, the energy contentdetermination module 410 of the remote monitor 330 determines an energycontent of the diverted waste associated with a particular food disposaland storage system 100. For example, the estimated energy content ofdiverted waste may indicate, for example, the estimated methane yieldfor the slurry mix currently stored in the storage tank 105 and/or theestimated energy equivalent in kilowatt hours for the slurry mixcurrently stored in the storage tank 105. At 510, the reporting module404 of the remote monitor 330 generates the sustainability report basedon the determined usage data, diverted waste data, and energy contentdata, as described above. At 512, the reporting module 404 of the remotemonitor 330 communicates the sustainability report to the owner oroperator of the particular food facility. For example, the reportingmodule 404 may communicate the sustainability report to the customerterminal 332 associated with the particular food facility. The controlalgorithm 500 ends at 514.

With reference to FIG. 6, a control algorithm 600 is shown fordetermining usage data for a food disposal and storage system 100. Thecontrol algorithm 600 and the functionality shown in FIG. 6 areencapsulated at block 504 of FIG. 5. The control algorithm 600 may beperformed by the usage determination module 406 of the remote monitor330. Generally, the usage data report indicates the use and associatedcosts of water, electricity, and labor, as well as the associated volumeof slurry mix produced by a particular food disposal and storage system100. The report can be cumulative over the entire life of the fooddisposal and storage system 100 or limited to a specific reporting timeperiod. As discussed below, water usage can be divided between grindingwater usage and cleaning water usage to help understand operationalcharacteristics. Additionally, measured storage tank volume change canbe compared to the reported slurry volume received by an anaerobicdigestion facility.

With continued reference to FIG. 6, the control algorithm 600 starts at602. At 604, the usage determination module 406 determines the slurryvolume over time based on the tank level data generated by the levelsensor 320 and the volume change at the time of storage tank pumping. At606, the usage determination module 406 determines the total watersupply to the system based on data received from the flow sensor 308 afor the water supply 300. For example, the water supply data may includethe total amount of water supplied to the feed table 104 and thedisposer 108 and may be inclusive of all water introduced to the system,both for grinding food waste by the disposer 108 and for cleaning thefeed table 104 and disposer 108. At 608, the usage determination module406 determines the system run time for the designated time period atissue. At 610, the usage determination module 406 determines an amountof water used for grinding food wasted based on the system run time (asdetermined at step 608) multiplied by the flow of water in gallons perminute (gpm) for the water supply. At 612, the usage determinationmodule 406 determines the amount of water used for cleaning bysubtracting the amount of water used for grinding food waste (determinedat step 610) from the total amount of water used by the system(determined at step 606). In this way, the usage determination module406 is able to determine the amount of water used for grinding foodwaste as well as the amount of water used for cleaning the system.

At 614, the usage determination module 406 determines the labor costsassociated with operating the food disposal and storage system 100 basedon the total system run time, as indicated and logged by the controller124, multiplied by the hourly cost of labor at the particular foodfacility. At 616, the usage determination module 406 determines theelectrical usage of the system based on the total run time of the systemmultiplied by the average power usage of the system. Further, the usagedetermination module 406 determines the electricity cost based on theelectrical usage in kilowatt hours multiplied by the cost in dollars perkilowatt hour. Alternatively, the usage determination module 406 maydetermine the electrical usage based on electrical data sensed byelectrical sensors of the food disposal and storage system 100. Forexample, the electrical usage may be based on electrical current datasensed by current sensors 306 of the food disposal and storage system100.

At 618, the usage determination module 406 determines the water costbased on the determined total water usage (determined at step 606)multiplied by the cost of water per gallon.

At 620, the usage determination module 406 generates a usage data reportindicating, for example, total water usage, water used for cleaning,water used for grinding food waste, the water cost, electrical usage,electrical cost, labor cost, and slurry volume produced.

With reference to FIG. 7, a control algorithm 700 is shown forgenerating a diverted waste report indicating the weight of food wastediverted from the landfill or other food waste destination by the fooddisposal and storage system 100. The control algorithm 700 and thefunctionality shown in FIG. 7 are encapsulated at block 506 of FIG. 5.The food waste weight is obtained from load cells or scales at the foodfacility. For example, as discussed above, the bin loader 112 mayinclude scale 324 a and/or the feed table 104 may include scale 324 b.Additionally or alternatively, a standalone scale 324 c may be used forweighing the food waste introduced into the food disposal and storagesystem 100. The diverted waste report can include data for the totalcumulative amount of food waste diverted over the life of the fooddisposal and storage system 100, or over a specific designated reportingperiod, such as monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. Additionally, theamount of diverted food waste can be compared with an expected amount offood waste for the size of the particular food facility to determine ifthere are any inventory management issues. For example, a food facilitymaintaining an excessive inventory of food may consequently generate anexcessive, i.e., above average, amount of food waste.

The control algorithm 700 may be performed by the diverted wastedetermination module 408 of the remote monitor 330 and starts at 702. At704, the diverted waste determination module 408 determines the sum ofthe bin weight totals based on the bin loader scale 324 a and subtractsthe known average tare weight of an empty bin. In this way, the divertedwaste determination module 408 determines the amount of food wasteloaded into the bin loader 112. At 706, the diverted waste determinationmodule 408 determines the sum of the tote weight totals based on thefeed table scale 324 b or the standalone scale 324 c and subtracts theknown average tare weight of an empty bin. In this way, the divertedwaste determination module 408 determines the total amount of food wasteintroduced into the system at the feed table 104. Although the use ofthree scales 324 a, 324 b, and 324 c, are discussed, it is understoodthat a particular food disposal and storage system 100 may include onlyone or two scales or may include additional scales. In such case, steps704 and/or 706 may be performed as appropriate, based on the types ofscales 324 a, 324 b, 324 c present in the system.

At 707, the diverted waste determination module 408 determines the totalamount of diverted food waste, based on the previous determinations atsteps 704 and/or 706. Additionally, the diverted waste determinationmodule 408 may determine a total amount of greenhouse gas emissionreduction based on the diverted food waste. At 708, the diverted wastedetermination module 408 generates a diverted waste data report with atotal amount of diverted waste, as calculated above. The diverted wastedata report may also include the greenhouse gas emission reduction, ascalculated above.

At 710, the diverted waste determination module 708 compares the totalamount of diverted waste with an expected amount of food waste,calculated based on the size of the food facility associated with thefood disposal and storage system 100. At 710, when the total amount ofdiverted waste is greater than the expected amount of food waste, theremote monitor 330 can generate an inventory adjustment recommendationindicating that the amount of food inventory may be greater than needed,based on the higher than normal amount of food waste being generated atthe facility. The control algorithm 700 ends at 712.

With reference to FIG. 8, a control algorithm 800 is shown fordetermining the estimated energy content for the diverted food wastestored in the storage tank 105 of a particular food disposal and storagesystem 100. The control algorithm 800 and the functionality shown inFIG. 8 are encapsulated at block 508 of FIG. 5. The energy content canbe an approximation of the potential energy that can be generated in theanaerobic digestion by the slurry mix stored in the storage tank 105.For example, one method for approximating energy content includesestimating or measuring the chemical oxygen demand (COD) or the totalorganic carbon (TOC) of the slurry mix, along with the volume of theslurry mix, and approximating the expected methane yield to be generatedduring the anaerobic digestion process based on the measurement(s) orestimates. The estimates or measurements can be made either at thestorage tank 105, for example, at the time of collection of the slurrymix, at the anaerobic digestion facility when the slurry mix isdeposited, and/or at the discharge of the disposer, for example at thedisposer discharge pipe 116. A second method includes estimating theenergy content of the slurry in terms of kilowatt hours. For example,the amount of dry food waste solids in the slurry mix can be estimatedand the energy content of the slurry in terms of kilowatt hours can beestimated based on the estimated amount of the dry food waste solids inthe slurry mix. Based on the estimated energy content, variousenvironmental metrics can be reported to the customer, including, forexample, that the projected energy generated could: power X homes permonth; provide enough natural gas to heat X homes per month; remove Xtons of CO₂; take X cars off the road; create enough fertilizer for Xfootball fields; provide a carbon credit of X, etc. The system, forexample, can determine the mass loading rate of food waste slurry to thestorage tank 105 over time using the change in tank volume in knownranges of total solid content for food waste. Additionally, using knowndecay rates of COD or TOC, the energy value of the final product, i.e.the slurry mix taken to the anaerobic digester, can be calculated. Thatvalue can be used for reporting total energy produced over time or tocalculate energy equivalents.

The control algorithm 800 can be performed by the energy contentdetermination module 410 of the remote monitor 330 and starts at 802. At804, the energy content determination module 410 determines the systemrun time, i.e. the amount of time that the disposer 108 was grindingfood waste. At 806, the energy content determination module 410determines the amount of water used for grinding food waste based on thetotal system run time and the flow of water in gallons per minute of thewater supply 300. At 808, the energy content determination module 410determines the volume of the slurry mix in the storage tank 105 based onthe level sensor 320.

At 810, the COD or TOC of the slurry mix in the storage tank is measuredor estimated. For example, the COD or TOC can be measured or estimatedat the time of collection of the slurry mix from the storage tank 105.Alternatively, the COD or TOC can be estimated based on the time sincethe last collection from the storage tank and the estimated fill rate offood waste into the storage tank 105. Further, the COD or TOC can beestimated based on the types of food waste included in the slurry alongwith known COD or TOC values or estimates for specific food waste types.Additionally, or alternatively, appropriate sensors can be installed atthe storage tank 105 to measure COD or TOC of the slurry mix or otherparameters used to estimate the COD or TOC of the slurry mix. Further,the collection truck 204 may be equipped with appropriate measurementtools or sensors, and/or an operator of the collection truck 204 maycarry or have access to appropriate measurement tools or sensors tomeasure or estimate the COD or TOC of the slurry mix or other parametersused to estimate the COD or TOC of the slurry mix.

As discussed above, measurements or estimates for the TOC and/or for theCOD of the slurry mix can be used in estimating the energy content ofthe slurry mix in the storage tank 105. For example, TOC or COD can beused individually in estimating the energy content. Alternatively, bothTOC and COD can be used in estimated the energy content. For example,the energy content can be estimated based on TOC and based on COD andthe different energy content estimates can then be compared, combined,averaged, etc. As between TOC and COD, in some installations the COD ofthe slurry mix in the storage tank 105 may decrease from the initialgrinding to the pump out of the slurry mix from the storage tank, whilethe TOC may remain more constant. In other words, while the slurry mixis stored in the storage tank 105, the COD of the slurry mix maydecrease more quickly than the TOD of the slurry mix. For example, ascomplex Organics decrease there may still be carbon in the form ofshorter chain volatile fatty acids (VFA) for conversion to methane. Atthe same time, there may be less COD because the compounds have alreadyused some oxygen in the process of being converted to VFAs. In this way,utilizing the TOC for estimating the energy content of the slurry mix inthe storage tank 105 may provide a more accurate energy content estimatethan COD, given that the COD may decrease as the slurry mix is stored inthe storage tank 105 over time, which could result in underestimatingthe energy content of the slurry mix in the storage tank 105. In otherwords, energy content estimates based solely on COD may provide a lowerestimate for the energy content of a slurry mix that has been stored inthe storage tank for a period of time, while energy content estimatesbased on TOC may provide a more accurate estimate for the energy contentof the slurry mix due to the TOC remaining more stable and constant asthe slurry mix remains in the storage tank 105 over time.

At 811, the estimated methane yield is determined based on themeasurements obtained at step 810. For example, the estimated methaneyield may be determined as the gram COD multiplied by (400 to 700)milliliters of methane per gram COD, where the gram COD equals themeasured COD multiplied by the slurry volume. As such, the estimatedmethane yield can be reported and included in an energy report toindicate the estimated amount of methane that could be generated by theslurry mix at an anaerobic digestion facility.

At 812, the energy content determination module 410 determines the wetfood waste volume based on the current volume of the slurry mix in thetank (as indicated at step 808 above) by subtracting the amount of waterused for grinding food waste (as indicated at step 806 above). At step814, the energy content determination module 410 determines the volumeof food waste solids present in the slurry mix based on, for example, anestimate of 30% of the wet food waste volume. At 816, the energy contentdetermination module 410 determines the solids weight as the solidsvolume multiplied by a predetermined average pounds per gallon. At 818,the energy content determination module 410 estimates the energyequivalent of the food waste solids as the solids weight multiplied by,for example, 11 kilowatt hours per metric ton. At 820, the energycontent determination module 410 determines the energy content databased on the estimated methane yield determined at step 811 above andbased on the estimated energy equivalent based on step 818 above.

Further, based on the estimated yield and estimated energy equivalent,the energy content determination module 410 may then determineadditional environmental metrics including, for example, data indicatingthat the estimated energy content of the slurry mix could: provideenough electricity for X homes per month; provide enough natural gas toheat X homes per month; remove X tons of CO₂ equivalent; take X cars offthe road; create enough fertilizer for X football fields; or result in aspecific carbon credit.

With reference to FIG. 9, a control algorithm 900 is shown for updatinga customer dashboard of the customer terminal 332 associated with thefood waste disposal and storage system 100 at a particular foodfacility. The customer dashboard of the customer terminal 332, forexample, may be generated by a standalone software application runningon the customer terminal 332 that is configured to allow communicationwith the remote monitor 330 such that the customer dashboard iscontinually or periodically updated with information from the remotemonitor 330 regarding the food disposal and storage system 100.Alternatively, the customer dashboard may reside within a web browserinterface whereby the web browser interface is continually orperiodically updated or populated with information from the remotemonitor 330 regarding the food disposal and storage system 100. In thisway, the customer dashboard may provide a customer user with informationabout the food disposal and storage system 100, including variousrecommendations, status, and maintenance information. Additionally, thecustomer dashboard may receive data from a customer user forcommunication to the remote monitor 330 and/or for communicationultimately to the controller 124 or user interface 328.

The control algorithm 900 may be performed by, for example, thereporting module 404 of the remote monitor 330 based on data generatedby other modules of the remote monitor 330, including, for example, thepumping schedule module 412, the operator assessment module 414, thetank level monitor module 416, the maintenance schedule module 418, andthe alerts/immediate maintenance module 420.

The control algorithm starts at 902. At 904, the current pumpingschedule for the storage tank 105 is received by the reporting module404, as determined by the pumping schedule module 412, described infurther detail below. At 906, any operator assessment issues arereceived by the reporting module 404, based on the determination of anyoperator assessment issues by the operator assessment module 414,described in further detail below. At 908, the current tank level of thestorage tank 105 is received by the reporting module 404, as determinedby the tank level monitor module 416, as described in further detailbelow. At 910, the reporting module 404 receives any maintenancescheduling issues, as determined by the maintenance schedule module 418,as described in further detail below. At 912, the reporting module 404receives any alerts or immediate maintenance issues, as determined bythe alerts/immediate maintenance module 420, described in further detailbelow.

At 914, the reporting module 404 updates the customer dashboard of thecustomer terminal 332 based on the determined pumping schedule, anyoperator assessment issues, tank level, any maintenance schedule issues,and any alerts or immediate maintenance issues. In this way, the remotemonitor 330 may continually update the customer dashboard or portal ofthe customer terminal 332 to provide the customer with up-to-dateinformation regarding the status of the food disposal and storage system100. In this way, the customer using the customer terminal 332, at aglance, can view up-to-date information with respect to the currentpumping schedule, any operator assessment issues, the current tank levelof the storage tank 105, any maintenance scheduling issues, and anyalerts or immediate maintenance issues. The control algorithm 900 endsat 916.

With reference to FIG. 10, a control algorithm 1000 is shown fordetermining a pumping schedule of the storage tank 105 at the fooddisposal and storage system 100. The control algorithm 1000 may beperformed by the pumping schedule module 412 of the remote monitor 330.The control algorithm 1000 and functionality shown in FIG. 10 areencapsulated at block 904 of FIG. 9.

A number of considerations are addressed for scheduling pumping of thestorage tank 105. For example, the chemistry attributes of the slurrymix in the storage tank 105 can be reviewed to determine whether theyare suitable for a particular or intended use such that the volume inthe tank makes it cost effective for pumping. For example, an end userof the slurry mix in the storage tank 105, such as particular anaerobicdigestion facilities, may require or desire a slurry mix with aparticular chemical composition. As described in further detail below,the chemical attributes of the slurry mix can be measured and reviewedto determine whether additives may be required and/or to determine theoptimized pumping scheduling for the storage tank 105. Further, ambienttemperature and time in the storage tank 105 may cause the slurry mix inthe storage tank to start to decompose faster than desired. As such, apumping schedule may account for ambient temperature and the length oftime that the slurry mix has been in the storage tank 105. Further, thepumping schedule module 412 may determine the current fill rate of thestorage tank 105 and predict when the storage tank 105 will be full orclose to full for optimized pumping scheduling.

Additionally, the food facility schedule may be considered to determinewhether any special events or special circumstances may requireadjustment of the pumping schedule. For example, if the food facilityanticipates a special event that may generate a higher than usual volumeof food waste (e.g., conferences, weddings, graduations, other events,etc.) the pumping schedule module 412 can review the current tank level,the usual fill rate, and the anticipated increased fill rate due to thespecial event to determine whether the pumping schedule needs to beadjusted and whether the storage tank 105 should be pumped prior to thespecial event. In this way, the pumping schedule can account foranticipated increased usage of the food disposal and storage system 100due to such special event scheduling.

Additionally, the pumping schedule can be coordinated over multiplesites. For example, if a particular customer has multiple sites andmultiple food facilities with a food disposal and storage system 100,the pumping schedule module 412 can consider the pumping needs at eachof the different locations, as well as the distances between each of thelocations, to determine an optimized pumping schedule across all sitesand food facilities. In this way, the pumping schedule module 412 canoptimize the slurry mix composition for particular intended uses, whileminimizing pumping costs. Further, as discussed above, the currentpumping schedule and current storage tank level can be continuallyreported and updated on the customer's dashboard at the customerterminal 332.

With continued reference to FIG. 10, the control algorithm 1000 startsat 1002. At 1004, the pumping schedule module 412 determines whether thecurrent tank volume of the storage tank 105 is sufficient for pumping.For example, if the storage tank 105 is full or close to full, thecurrent storage tank volume may be sufficient for pumping. In such case,the pumping schedule module 412 proceeds to 1012 to update the pumpingschedule, notify the hauler at the hauler terminal 334, and update thecustomer dashboard at the customer terminal 332. At 1004, when thecurrent tank volume is not sufficient for pumping, the pumping schedulemodule 412 proceeds to 1006. At 1006, the pumping schedule module 412determines whether the current slurry temperature and time in the tankmeet the criteria for pumping. For example, if the current tank volumeis not near full, but the time the slurry has been stored in the storagetank 105 is greater than one week and/or the temperature of the slurrymix has been greater than 90° Fahrenheit, for example, the pumpingschedule module 412 may proceed to 1012 and revise the pumping scheduleto provide for a sooner than normal pumping date. Again, the pumpingschedule module 412 would update the pumping schedule, notify the haulerat hauler terminal 334, and update the customer dashboard at customerterminal 332. At 1006, when the slurry temperature and time in thestorage tank 105 do not meet the criteria for pumping, the pumpingschedule module 412 proceeds to 1008.

At 1008, the pumping schedule module checks the current fill rate, thecurrent tank level of the storage tank 105, the current predicted pumpdate, special event scheduling, and historical data for the facility, todetermine whether a recalculated pump date is needed. As such, thepumping schedule module 412 can predict a current pump date based on thehistorical data and normal fill rates, and then determine whether anadjustment to the normal pumping date is needed based on any specialevent scheduling or other activities. For example, the pumping schedulemodule 412 may determine, based on historical data, that a particularweek, weekend, or month, is generally associated with a greater thannormal, or less than normal, amount of food waste generated. As such,the pumping schedule module 412 can make appropriate adjustments to thepumping schedule. At 1010, the pumping schedule module 412 determineswhether a recalculated pump date is needed. If so, the pumping schedulemodule 412 proceeds to 1012 to update the pumping schedule, notify thehauler at hauler terminal 334, and update the customer dashboard atcustomer terminal 332. When a recalculated pump date is not needed at1010, the pumping schedule module 412 loops back to step 1004 above. Thecontrol algorithm 1000 ends at 1014.

With reference to FIG. 11, a control algorithm 1100 is shown fordetermining the pumping schedule and introduction of additives so thatthe chemical composition of the slurry mix in the storage tank 105 meetsa target chemical composition. For example, the additives may includechemicals to control the pH of the slurry mix. Further, the additivesmay include biological agents introduced into the slurry mix to modifythe chemical composition of the slurry mix. The control algorithm 1100may be performed by the pumping schedule module 412 of the remotemonitor 330. The control algorithm 1100 and the functionality shown inFIG. 11 are encapsulated at block 904 of FIG. 9. The control algorithm1100 starts at 1102. At 1104, the pumping schedule module 412 checks thepH and other chemical characteristics of the slurry mix in the storagetank 105. For example, the pumping schedule module 412 may obtain pHdata from the pH sensor 316 and/or other chemical composition data ofthe slurry mix from the other chemical composition sensors 318. At 1106,the pumping schedule module 412 determines whether the chemistry of theslurry mix meets the requirements for a specific application bycomparing the pH and/or other chemical characteristics of the slurry mixwith a predefined slurry chemistry specification. For example, apredetermined chemical composition specification may indicate that thetarget chemical composition for the slurry mix should be: food wasteslurry of finely ground food waste, no particles of which are largerthan a half inch, mixed with water to a final consistency in the rangeof 8% to 15% total solids, greater than 90% volatile solids, a pH in therange of 4.0 to 10.0, a specific gravity of 0.95 to 1.10, ChemicalOxygen Demand of 70,000 to 200,000 milligrams per liter, Total OrganicCarbon greater than 9,000 milligrams per liter, Total Kjeldahal Nitrogenless than 7,500 milligrams per liter, and represented by the generalstoichiometric formula C_(21.53)H_(34.21)O_(12.66)N. As another example,the predetermined chemical composition specification may indicate thatthe target chemical composition for the slurry mix should be: food wasteslurry of finely ground food waste, no particles of which are largerthan a half inch, mixed with water to a final consistency in the rangeof 8% to 15% total solids, greater than 90% volatile solids, a pH in therange of 4.0 to 10.0, a specific gravity of 0.95 to 1.10, ChemicalOxygen Demand of 70,000 to 200,000 milligrams per liter, Total OrganicCarbon greater than 40,000 milligrams per liter, Total KjeldahalNitrogen less than 7,500 milligrams per liter, and represented by thegeneral stoichiometric formula C_(21.53)H_(34.21)O_(12.66)N.

At 1106, when the chemical composition of the slurry mix does not meetthe requirements for a specific application, the pumping schedule module412 proceeds to 1108. At 1108, the pumping schedule module 412determines whether any additives are needed. For example, the pumpingschedule module 412 may determine, based on the current chemicalcomposition of the slurry mix, whether additional chemicals can be addedto the slurry mix to assist in reaching the target chemical composition.At 1108, when additional additives are not needed, the pumping schedulemodule 412 loops back to 1104. At 1108, when additional additives areneeded, the pumping schedule module 412 proceeds to 1110 to notify thecustomer and update the customer dashboard that additives should beintroduced to the slurry mix in the storage tank 105.

With reference again to 1106 of FIG. 11, when the chemical compositionof the slurry mix does meet the requirements for a specific targetcomposition, the pumping schedule module 412 proceeds to 1112 todetermine whether the tank volume is sufficient for pumping. When thetank volume is not sufficient for pumping, the pumping schedule module412 loops back to 1104. When at 1112, the tank volume is sufficient forpumping, the pumping schedule module 412 proceeds to 1114 and updatesthe current pumping schedule, notifies the hauler at hauler terminal334, and updates the customer dashboard at the customer terminal 332.The control algorithm 1100 ends at 1116.

With reference to FIG. 12, a control algorithm 1200 is shown foridentifying any operator assessment issues associated with particularoperators of the equipment of the food disposal and storage system 100.The control algorithm 1200 may be performed by the operator assessmentmodule 414 of the remote monitor 330. The control algorithm 1200 and thefunctionality shown in FIG. 12 are encapsulated at block 906 of FIG. 9.The control algorithm 1200 can provide information on usage and operatorissues that may indicate the need for additional training. For example,the operator assessment module 414 may determine whether a particularoperator is associated with particular equipment faults or malfunctionsor whether the operating staff in general triggers a greater than normalnumber of equipment faults or malfunctions. As such, additional trainingfor a particular operator or for the operating staff in general can berecommended to the customer. Particular faults or malfunctions of theequipment may include, for example, overloading the lifting equipment,excessive pipe blockages, issues associated with specific usage periods,and issues with the disposer 108 jamming or the pump 118 overheating orclogging.

The control algorithm 1200 starts at 1202. At 1204, the operatorassessment module 414 receives operator identification login andusage/access data, including date and time, for the food disposal andstorage system 100. For example, the operator assessment module 414 mayreceive a log of operator login and usage/access data indicating whenparticular operators were operating the equipment. At 1206, the operatorassessment module 414 receives component fault data, including date andtime, for the food disposal and storage system 100. For example, theoperator assessment module 414 may receive a log of fault ormalfunctions including the type of fault or malfunction and the date andtime of the particular fault or malfunction. At 1208, the operatorassessment module 414 may compare the fault data with the operator IDlogin data. At 1210, the operator assessment module 414 determineswhether any particular operator is associated with a number of faultsthat is greater than a particular threshold for the equipment. Forexample, the operator assessment module 414 may determine whether aparticular operator has jammed the disposer 108 or overloaded the binloader 112 more than a certain number of times in a given period, forexample, over one week or one month. Additionally, at 1212, the operatorassessment module 414 determines whether the aggregate number of faultor malfunctions for a particular piece of equipment is greater than aparticular threshold, across all operators of the equipment. As such,the operator assessment module 414 can determine whether additionaltraining is needed for a particular user or for all of the users ingeneral. Specifically, at 1214, the operator assessment module 414determines whether there are any operator assessment issues, includingthe need for additional training for a particular operator or forparticular training on a particular piece of equipment for alloperators. At 1216, the operator assessment module 414 and the reportingmodule 404 update the customer dashboard at the customer terminal 332 torecommend any necessary training for particular operators or foroperators in general of the equipment. The control algorithm 1200 endsat 1218.

With reference to FIG. 13, a control algorithm 1300 is shown fordetermining any maintenance schedule issues. The control algorithm 1300is performed by the maintenance schedule module 418. The controlalgorithm 1300 and the functionality shown in FIG. 13 are encapsulatedat block 910 of FIG. 9. For example, the maintenance schedule module 418can monitor equipment usage to alert the customer when routinemaintenance is required. Additionally, the maintenance schedule module418 can monitor run time as well as trending of physical characteristicsto determine whether maintenance of the equipment is needed or will beneeded in the near future. Additionally, the remote monitor 330 cangenerate an alert to notify the customer and/or a repair man or serviceagency of the need for maintenance.

The control algorithm 1300 starts at 1302. At 1304, the maintenanceschedule module 418 determines the number of cycles for the bin loader112 and compares the number of cycles to a predetermined threshold. At1306, the maintenance schedule module 418 determines the run time forthe auger feeder, if present, and compares the run time to apredetermined threshold. At 1308, the maintenance schedule module 418determines the run time and number of hose compressions for the pump 118and compares the run time and number of hose compressions topredetermined thresholds. At 1310, the maintenance schedule module 418determines whether there is a trend in the pump temperature over timeand whether the trending is toward an increased or a decreasedtemperature over time. For example, an increased or decreasedtemperature of the pump, over time, can indicate that the pump 118 is inneed of repair or replacement.

At 1312, the maintenance schedule module 418 can determine whether thetime since the last storage tank cleaning is greater than apredetermined threshold. For example, if it has been more than apredetermined time period, for example two months or three months, sincethe storage tank was last cleaned, the maintenance schedule module 418can recommend that the storage tank 105 be cleaned. At 1314, themaintenance schedule module 418 can determine the time since the carbonfilter of the storage tank 105 was last changed and compare the time toa threshold time period. For example, the storage tank 105 may include acarbon filter positioned in an exhaust tube of the storage tank toprevent odors from escaping the storage tank 105. If it has been longerthan a predetermined time period since the last carbon filter changing,the maintenance schedule module 418 can recommend that the carbon filterbe changed. At 1316, the maintenance schedule module 418 can determinethe total run time of the disposer 108 and compare the total run time toa threshold. If the total run time is greater than the predeterminedthreshold, the disposer 108 may require maintenance and the maintenanceschedule module 418 can recommend such maintenance. At 1318, based onthe previous determination from steps 1304 through 1316, the maintenanceschedule module 418 can predict maintenance needed for particular systemcomponents. At 1320, the maintenance schedule module 418 and thereporting module 404 can update the customer dashboard of the customerterminal 332 to recommend particular maintenance, as necessary. Thecontrol algorithm 1300 ends at 1322.

With reference to FIG. 14, a control algorithm 1400 is shown forgenerating particular alerts or notifications related to immediatemaintenance or malfunction issues. The control algorithm 1400 isperformed by the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420. The controlalgorithm 1400 and the functionality shown in FIG. 14 are encapsulatedat block 912 of FIG. 9. For example, the alerts/immediate maintenancemodule 420 can monitor the equipment components to identify any issuethat requires immediate attention. Such issues could then trigger alertsto the customer dashboard of the customer terminal 332. Additionally,the alerts may be communicated via text message or email to a mobiledevice of an owner or operator of the food disposal and storage system100 and/or a designated repair person for the food disposal and storagesystem 100.

The control algorithm 1400 starts at 1402. At 1404, the alerts/immediatemaintenance module 420 determines whether the splash hood for thedisposer 108 is not present. For example, the alert/immediatemaintenance module 420 may receive data from the splash hood sensor 327indicating that the splash hood of the disposer 108 has been removed. Insuch case, the remote monitor 330 can generate an alert that the splashhood is not present and/or disable the disposer 108 or the food disposaland storage system 100. At 1406, the alerts/immediate maintenance module420 determines whether the storage tank level is full or near full suchthat it is close to overflowing or will be overflowing in the nearfuture. For example, if the storage tank 105 is close to being full, theremote monitor may communicate with the controller 124 to indicate thatthe storage tank 105 is near full on the user interface 328.Additionally, if the storage tank 105 is full and will soon overflow,the remote monitor 330 can communicate with the controller 124 todisable the food disposal and storage system 100 so that no additionalfood waste is pumped to the storage tank 105.

At 1408, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 determines thecurrent temperature of the storage tank 105 and compares the currenttemperature to a threshold. For example, if the temperature of thestorage tank 105 is below a predetermined threshold, the slurry mix inthe storage tank 105 may be close to freezing. Further, a low storagetank temperature may indicate that the storage tank heaters 128 aremalfunctioning.

At 1410, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 may determinewhether the current tank volume versus operation of the system over timeis abnormal. For example, if the current run time of the food disposaland storage system 100 is such that a greater tank volume would beexpected, the lower tank volume may indicate that a leak is present inthe system or that the storage tank 105 is overflowing.

At 1412, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 determines whetherthe current tank pressure trend is abnormal. For example, if thepressure within the tank is not increasing as expected upon the pumpingof additional food waste into the storage tank 105, the air admittancevalve 210 or the discharge valve 202 may have been left open orpartially open.

At 1414, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 determines whetherthe pressure in the pump discharge pipe 120 is abnormal. For example, agreater than normal pressure in the pump discharge pipe 120 may indicatethat the pump discharge pipe 120 is clogged or obstructed or that thereis a clog or an obstruction in the storage tank 105. Additionally, ifthe pressure within the pump discharge pipe 120 is lower than expectedduring operation of the pump 118, this may indicate that the pump ismalfunctioning.

At 1416, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 determines whetherthe water supply pressure is abnormal based on the flow sensor 308 a.For example, if the water supply pressure is abnormal, this may indicatethat the water supply has been turned off or that there is anobstruction somewhere in the water supply 300.

At 1418, alerts/immediate maintenance module 420 determines whether thecurrent draw for any component is abnormal. For example, thealerts/immediate maintenance module 420 may receive electrical data fromthe current sensors 306. An increased or decreased current draw for anyparticular component may indicate that the component is malfunctioning.For example, a drop in current flow to either the pump 118 or thedisposer 108 or electric motor that powers the pump 118 or the electricmotor that powers the disposer 108 is jammed or locked.

At 1420, the alerts/immediate maintenance module 420, along with thereporting module 404, can generate alerts/notifications to the customerand/or to repair or maintenance personnel designated for the particularfood disposal and storage system 100, as necessary. Further, thealerts/immediate maintenance module 420 and the reporting module 404 canupdate the customer dashboard of the customer terminal 332, asnecessary, based on the determinations described above with respect to1404 through 1418. Additionally, alerts/immediate maintenance module 420can communicate with controller 124 to appropriately update the userinterface 328 to indicate any issues with the equipment.

With reference to FIG. 15, a control algorithm 1500 is shown forgenerating a recommendation for particular food types for grindingand/or a modification of a current food grinding schedule, to meet aparticular slurry composition specification. The control algorithm 1500is performed by the remote monitor 330 and starts at 1502.

At 1504, the remote monitor 330 receives the pH and other chemicalcharacteristics of the slurry mix in the storage tank 105. For example,the remote monitor 330 may obtain, through the controller 124, the pHdata from the pH sensor 316 and/or other chemical composition data ofthe slurry mix from the other chemical composition sensors 318. At 1504,the remote monitor 330 determines whether the chemistry of the slurrymix meets the requirements of a predetermined specification for slurrycomposition. For example, the specification may indicate a specificapplication with specific pH and/or other chemical characteristics. Forexample, a predetermined chemical composition specification may indicatethat the target chemical composition for the slurry mix should be: foodwaste slurry of finely ground food waste, no particles of which arelarger than a half inch, mixed with water to a final consistency in therange of 8% to 15% total solids, greater than 90% volatile solids, a pHin the range of 4.0 to 10.0, a specific gravity of 0.95 to 1.10,Chemical Oxygen Demand of 70,000 to 200,000 milligrams per liter, TotalOrganic Carbon greater than 9,000 milligrams per liter, Total KjeldahalNitrogen less than 7,500 milligrams per liter, and represented by thegeneral stoichiometric formula C_(21.53)H_(34.21)O_(12.66)N. As anotherexample, the predetermined chemical composition specification mayindicate that the target chemical composition for the slurry mix shouldbe: food waste slurry of finely ground food waste, no particles of whichare larger than a half inch, mixed with water to a final consistency inthe range of 8% to 15% total solids, greater than 90% volatile solids, apH in the range of 4.0 to 10.0, a specific gravity of 0.95 to 1.10,Chemical Oxygen Demand of 70,000 to 200,000 milligrams per liter, TotalOrganic Carbon greater than 40,000 milligrams per liter, Total KjeldahalNitrogen less than 7,500 milligrams per liter, and represented by thegeneral stoichiometric formula C_(21.53)H_(34.21)O_(12.66)N.

At 1506, based on the comparison with the predetermined specification,the remote monitor 330 may generate particular recommendations of foodtypes for grinding or a modification of a current food grindingschedule. For example, if the food facility is a grocery store, based onthe composition of the slurry and the comparison with the specification,the remote monitor 330 may recommend that food waste from a bakerydepartment or from a meat department be processed next to move thechemical characteristics of slurry closer to the target of thepredetermined specification. For further example, if the food facilityis a grocery store, based on the composition of the slurry and thecomparison with the specification, the remote monitor 330 may recommendthat an existing grinding schedule be modified in an effort to move thechemical characteristics of the slurry closer to the target of thepredetermined specification. For example, if the food facility is agrocery store, the current grinding schedule may be such that the meatdepartment disposes of meat type food waste on Mondays, the bakerydisposes of bakery type food waste on Tuesdays, and the producedepartment disposes of produce type food waste on Wednesdays. Based onthe comparison with the specification, the remote monitor 330 mayrecommend that the existing schedule be modified in an effort to movethe chemical characteristics of the slurry closer to the target of thepredetermined specification. For example, the remote monitor 330 mayrecommend that the order be changed so that the bakery departmentdisposes of food waste on Monday, and that food waste from the meat andproduce departments be held for a day and then disposed of on Wednesday.

At 1508, the remote monitor 330 may notify the customer terminal 332 andupdate the customer dashboard of the customer terminal 332 with therecommendations. After 1508, the remote monitor 330 loops back to 1504.

With respect to each of the control algorithms described above,including control algorithms 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200,1300, 1400, 1500, while the particular steps, calculations,measurements, etc., for the particular control algorithms are discussedin a particular order, it is understood that the steps, calculations,measurements, etc. could be performed in a different order, orconcurrently, to accomplish the described functionality. Additionally,some of the steps, calculations, measurements, etc. could be omitted.

As discussed above, the particular chemical composition of the slurrymix in the storage tank 105 may be examined to determine itsapplicability for particular applications and whether it meets certainpredetermined chemical composition specifications as may be indicated,for example, by particular anaerobic digestion facilities. As such, itmay be useful to use a core sampler device, including a hollow tube, forexample, with removable end cap. The core sampler, for example, can beinserted into the slurry mix in the storage tank 105 with the end capremoved and pushed to the bottom of the storage tank 105. When the coresampler reaches the bottom of the storage tank, the end cap can beseated onto the end of the core sampler tube by way of a string or tube,for example, routed inside the core sampler tube. At such point, thecore sampler can be removed and a sample of the slurry mix, includingany separation of the slurry mix in the storage tank 105, can beextracted and analyzed.

With reference to FIGS. 16, 17A, 17B, and 18, a core sampler 1600 isshown and includes a hollow tube 1602 with a cord 1604 positionedthrough the interior of the hollow tube 1602. The cord 1604 includes afoam ball end cap 1606 positioned at the end and attached to the cordwith an eye bolt 1608. A diameter of the foam ball end cap 1606 isslightly larger than an interior diameter of the hollow tube 1602. Thecord 1604 includes a knot 1610 positioned to be received by a notch 1612in the hollow tube 1602.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the core sampler 1600 is lowered into the storagetank 105 with the end cap 1606 removed so that the hollow tube 1602fills with the contents of the storage tank 105. The core sampler 1600can be inserted into the storage tank 105 in a vertical manner so thatthe contents of the hollow tube 1602, and the gradient of materials fromthe bottom of the storage tank 105 to the top of the storage tank 105,match the gradient of materials from the bottom of the core sampler 1600to the top of the core sampler 1600.

As shown in FIG. 17B, once the end of the hollow tube 1602 reaches thebottom of the storage tank, an operator of the core sampler 1600 canpull the cord 1604 upwards so that the cord 1604 becomes taut and theend cap 1606 becomes tightly seated in the end of the hollow tube 1602.

As shown in FIG. 18, once the cord 1604 is taut and the end cap 1606 isseated in the end of the hollow tube 1602, the knot 1610 can be seatedin the notch 1612 in the sidewall of the hollow tube 1602. At thispoint, the core sampler 1600 can be removed from the storage tank 105and the contents of the core sampler 1600 can be reviewed, analyzed, andtested.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

For purposes of clarity, the same reference numbers are used in thedrawings to identify similar elements. As used herein, the phrase atleast one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A or Bor C), using a non-exclusive logical OR. It should be understood thatone or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (orconcurrently), as appropriate, without altering the principles of thepresent disclosure.

As used herein, the term module may refer to, be part of, or include: anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); an electronic circuit; acombinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); aprocessor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; othersuitable hardware components that provide the described functionality;or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in asystem-on-chip. The term module may include memory (shared, dedicated,or group) that stores code executed by the processor.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/ormicrocode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes,and/or objects. The term shared, as used above, means that some or allcode from multiple modules may be executed using a single (shared)processor. In addition, some or all code from multiple modules may bestored by a single (shared) memory. The term group, as used above, meansthat some or all code from a single module may be executed using a groupof processors. In addition, some or all code from a single module may bestored using a group of memories.

The apparatuses and methods described herein may be implemented by oneor more computer programs executed by one or more processors. Thecomputer programs include processor-executable instructions that arestored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. Thecomputer programs may also include stored data. Non-limiting examples ofthe non-transitory tangible computer readable medium are nonvolatilememory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexample embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another elementor layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first stage, element, component,region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second stage,element, component, region, layer or section without departing from theteachings of the example embodiments.

What is claimed is: 1-40. (canceled)
 41. A system comprising: a foodloading station located at a facility that processes food waste, thefood loading station having a grinder that grinds food waste; a storagetank that receives a slurry of food waste and water from the grinder forstorage until the slurry is collected for transportation to an anaerobicdigestion facility; a controller connected to the grinder and incommunication with a scale that senses a weight of the food waste beforegrinding by the grinder; a remote module in communication with thecontroller that receives the sensed weight of the food waste and thatcalculates, based on the sensed weight, a total amount of the food wasteground by the grinder and received by the storage tank over apredetermined time period; and a terminal associated with the facilityand connected to the remote module that receives a report that includesdiverted food waste data for the predetermined time period correspondingto the total amount of food waste.
 42. The system of claim 41, whereinthe scale is integrated with a feed table of the food loading station.43. The system of claim 41, wherein the scale is integrated with a binloader that loads a bin of food waste onto a feed table of the foodloading station.
 44. The system of claim 41 wherein the remote modulecompares the total amount of food waste for the predetermined timeperiod with an expected amount of food waste for the facility over thepredetermined time period and generates a food inventory adjustmentrecommendation based on the comparison when the total amount of foodwaste is greater than the expected amount of food waste for thefacility.
 45. The system of claim 41 wherein the terminal receives inputindicating the predetermined time period and communicates the input tothe remote monitor.
 46. A method comprising: sensing, with a scale incommunication with a controller connected to a grinder installed in afood loading station located at a facility that processes food waste, aweight of food waste before grinding by the grinder; receiving a slurryof food waste and water from the grinder with a storage tank that storesthe slurry until the slurry is collected for transportation to ananaerobic digestion facility; receiving, with a remote module incommunication with the controller, the sensed weight of the food waste;calculating, with the remote module, a total amount of the food wasteground by the grinder and received by the storage tank over apredetermined time period based on the sensed weight; and receiving,with a terminal associated with the facility and connected to the remotemodule, a report that includes diverted food waste data for thepredetermined time period corresponding to the total amount of foodwaste.
 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the scale is integrated witha feed table of the food loading station.
 48. The method of claim 46,wherein the scale is integrated with a bin loader that loads a bin offood waste onto a feed table of the food loading station.
 49. The methodof claim 46, further comprising comparing, with the remote module, thetotal amount of food waste for the predetermined time period with anexpected amount of food waste for the facility over the predeterminedtime period and generating, with the remote module, a food inventoryadjustment recommendation based on the comparison when the total amountof food waste is greater than the expected amount of food waste for thefacility.
 50. The method of claim 46, further comprising receiving, withthe terminal, input indicating the predetermined time period andcommunicating, with the terminal, the input to the remote monitor.